Persian Dill and Lima Rice

From the garden

• 3 cups fresh shelled lima beans, shelled
• 2 cups fresh dill, chopped, coarse stems discarded
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 pinch saffron threads, crushed (optional) · steeped in 3 tablespoons hot water

From the pantry

• 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
• 5 tbsp neutral oil · divided; the crust needs a generous film
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges · for the table
• salt · to taste
• black pepper

1. Boil the shelled lima beans in well-salted water until fully tender, 12–15 minutes for fresh green-shell beans, then drain. Limas are always cooked through before eating, and a bean still firm now will stay firm in the finished rice.
2. Parboil the rinsed basmati in a large pot of well-salted water 5–6 minutes, until the grains soften at the ends but still snap in the middle. Drain and rinse briefly with cool water to stop the cooking.
3. Warm 2 tablespoons of the oil in the empty pot over medium heat and cook the onion with the turmeric 6–8 minutes, until soft and gold. Scrape it into a bowl and toss through the beans and the dill.
4. Pour the remaining oil and 3 tablespoons of water into the pot, swirl to coat, and spread one thin even layer of rice across the bottom. That layer becomes the tahdig, the crust everyone at the table fights over.
5. Build the rest in alternating scoops, rice then the dill and bean mixture, finishing with rice heaped into a dome. Poke four or five holes down through the mound with the handle of a wooden spoon so steam can climb.
6. Wrap the lid in a clean towel, clamp it on, and steam over low heat 40–45 minutes, until the base crackles when you tilt the pot. Spoon the saffron water over, fluff gently, and serve with the broken crust and lemon wedges.